


Times have changed.

by Thats_me



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-21 08:27:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13737021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thats_me/pseuds/Thats_me
Summary: Years after the rebellion, after excepting Peeta’s relationship with Katniss, after years of peace, Gale comes home.





	Times have changed.

I break free from the forest, a place I once deemed the only place I could truly be myself.  
Oh how times have changed.  
I can’t believe I’m here. So many memories haunt the air.  
The town still destroyed from the bombs that were dropped ages ago, but instead of the dispair it caused at the time, the crumbling town seems rich with character. I turn towards victors village-the town forever mapped in my mind.  
I don’t know why I’m here or what I’m expecting from her. She has every right to hate me. I killed her sister. I refused to go to her wedding. And Katniss isn’t exactly the forgiving type. I just had to see her.  
I stop in front of her house, breathing heavily. Primroses pollute the garden. I push out a shaky breath and climb the steps.  
It takes all the courage inside of me, but I knock on the door.  
“Hun, can you go check on Rue?” A women’s voice calls from behind the door  
Suddenly the door swings open and Katniss’s stunned face stares back at me, her smile dropping immediately. I realize how odd I must look, after years of silence I show up on her doorstep with a pathetic bunch of flowers I collected in the forest.  
“Hey Catnip.”   
We stand there like this for a moment. I beg her with my eyes to forgive me. She looks so hurt.Excepting defeat I turn and go. Walking down her driveway. What had I expected? I’ve ruined her life. Tears fill my eyes and I drop the flowers.  
“Gale!” She says breathlessly  
I turn quickly to see her running full speed towards me, her bare feet cutting through her front lawn. She plows into and captures me in a tight hug. She balances on her tippy toes. I freeze, shocked, but then return the embrace. She’s forgiven me.  
“Who was at the door?” Peeta calls, approaching the door that Katniss had left ajar.  
“Oh!” Peeta smiles from the door, a baby girl in his arms. If our roles had been reversed I don’t think I would be so kind and expcepting. Maybe he’s realized the he won. The baker beat me. Slowly Katniss pulls away. She opens her mouth to speak but is quickly interrupted by a squealing voice.  
“Mommy!” A little boy yells and runs through the front yard towards us, bypassing Peeta, joy and innocence stains his face. I smile kindly down at him.  
She swoops him up in her arms, pride in her eyes  
“Hey there!” She says tickling his belly. He giggles and laughs.  
Peeta watches from the door still.  
Katniss sets the boy down, and turns to me. Mean while the boy hides behind her legs.  
“This is my son” She says smiling, a sense of relief in her voice.  
“Hey there,” I drop down to his eye level “what’s your name.” I say sweetly  
The boy looks up to his mom for approval  
“It’s okay, he’s my friend.” She nods  
A smile spreads across my face at that. As though no time has passed, friends.  
The boy looks up into his eyes and offers a shy smile, “Cinna Mellark.” He says still hiding behind his mothers legs.  
“Tell him your middle name, hun.” Katniss whispers softly while she scratches his head. “Cinna Gale Finnick Mellark.” He says it quickly with a huge smile on his face. My heart stops. I look up to see Katniss smiling down at me. I can’t believe I own a quarter of this child’s name. All this time I’ve been worried that Katniss would hate me for what I did to Prim. No, no I never expected this. “Honey this is your uncle Gale.” She says to Cinna who was still in hiding, but after that he breaks away and gives me a big hug. I can’t help it then, I cry. I cry loudly- so loudly I’m sure it must have woken a drunk Haymitch. Peeta still stands at the door way patting little Rue on the back. “Well come in before we get sunburnt.” Katniss snaps. I can’t help but laugh. She really hasn’t changed at all.


End file.
